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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26964229">All I Need Is A Little Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Complicated Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Love, Roommates, Sibling Bonding, arya and gendry as pseudo parents</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:01:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26964229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rickon starts getting into trouble, he comes to live with Arya and Gendry for a while. She doesn't expect her little brother's presence to send her and Gendry's relationship into new territory but somehow, it manages to do just that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Meera Reed/Bran Stark, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>282</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She jerked awake at the sound of her phone ringing, sucking in a sharp breath as she did, and sat up in her bed. She squinted against the bright light emanating from the screen as she scrambled to grab it from the bedside table to see who was calling. When she glanced at the screen, she didn't recognize the number but she answered the call anyway. No one would call this late, or early really, without it being important. As she brought the phone to her ear, an automated voice came over the line.</p><p>
  <em>This is a collect call from White Harbor Police Department, should you choose to accept it you will incur the charges, do you wish to continue?</em>
</p><p>"Yes." She said, throwing the blanket off her legs and getting up from the bed entirely as her heart began racing. There was only one person she knew who'd be calling her from White Harbor.</p><p>"Arya?" Rickon's voice came over the phone, sounding soft and hesitant.</p><p>"I'm here." She answered. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"I'm in a bit of trouble." He said quietly.</p><p>"Yes, I figured that out from the fact that you're calling from the police station." She said, trying to keep her voice calm. "What the hell happened Rick?"</p><p>"Look I'll explain everything, I promise but I've only got a few minutes before the phone hangs up and I was calling to ask if you'd come get me." He said. "I couldn't call mum and dad, they'd flip. Please Arya."</p><p>"Of course I'll come." She said, blowing out a long sigh. "But it'll take me a while to drive that far and we<em> will</em> be talking about this."</p><p>"Okay." Rickon said, his voice soft. She heard him hesitate for a moment before he finally spoke again. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"I know." She said, speaking to him gently. "Hang in there. I'll be there soon."</p><p>"I love you." Rickon said.</p><p>"Love you too." She answered.</p><p>They hung up and she slipped her feet into a pair of shoes, not bothering to change from her pajamas, before making her way quietly to the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash cold water on her face to wake herself up. It was in the middle of this that she remembered that her car was still in the garage being worked on and she cursed loudly as she leaned on the bathroom sink and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.</p><p>After a moment, she left the bathroom and padded across the flat to Gendry's room where her steps stopped as she pondered her options. She didn't really want to wake him in the middle of the night but she knew that she couldn't really call anyone else for help. Sansa was all the way in Highgarden with her wife, Robb and Jon were both in the north, Winterfell and the Wall respectively, leaving only Bran in the Riverlands with her. Though, he also wasn't an option as he and Meera lived further north than she did, almost in the Neck where Meera's family lived and she didn't want to get them out of bed for this. Gendry was really her only option.</p><p>She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock lightly at his door. She waited for a few moments but when she didn't hear anything from inside the room, she knocked louder. After the second knock she heard a soft curse from inside and shuffling noises before the door swung open. Gendry looked at her with blurry eyes as he ran his hand roughly over his face and she gave him an apologetic look.</p><p>"Sorry for waking you." She started. "I wouldn't have bothered you if it wasn't important, it's just that I need to borrow your car since mine is still in the garage. You can go back to sleep, I promise I'll bring it back and I'll even fill it up before I do."</p><p>"Arya." He said, stopping the flow of words from her mouth. His voice was raspy from sleep but he seemed to be shaking off his tiredness as he watched her. "It's the middle of the night. What's going on? Is everything okay?"</p><p>"It's my little brother." She admitted with a sigh. "He needs me."</p><p>"Is something wrong?" He asked, ducking back into his room to slip a shirt over his head and stick his feet into a pair of shoes before rejoining her in the doorway.</p><p>"He's being held at the police station. I don't know what for but he asked me to come get him." She said, moving back so he could come into the living room. He grabbed his keys from the table and she furrowed her brows. "You don't have to come. I know you have to work tomorrow."</p><p>"I'll call in later." He said, leading her out of the flat. "This is obviously important. Now, where are we going?"</p><p>"White Harbor." She answered cautiously and he whistled.</p><p>"Well, seems we have a drive ahead of us then." He said as they moved down the hall to the elevator that would take them to the ground floor that housed the parking garage attached to flat building.</p><p>"I'll pay for gas." She repeated and he rolled his eyes.</p><p>"It's not a big deal, Arya." He told her.</p><p>"Still, I insist." She said firmly. "After all, I did drag you out of bed at three in the morning."</p><p>"Fine." Gendry said, glancing at her with a grin. "How about a compromise?"</p><p>"What do you have in mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"We can share the cost of gas and you can buy us breakfast when the shops open." He said.</p><p>"Fair enough." She said, giving in and his grin widened.</p><p>"Good." He said triumphantly.</p><p>They were both still rubbing sleep out of their eyes as they pulled out of the parking garage but they were in good spirits despite the circumstances, especially considering that neither of them were particularly morning people. They darkness was heavy around them as they finally left the city behind them, giving evidence to the fact that it was an ungodly time to be awake, but the benefit to it was that the roads were empty making their journey go a bit faster than it normally would. It would still take them about two and a half hours to get to White Harbor but it was nice to not have to fight with traffic on top of everything else.</p><p>She was thankful that Gendry was with her as she knew that if she was making the drive alone, it would feel so much longer. She and Gendry had met during the first week after she started university at Riverrun at a student party hosted by the school. He'd been a senior, due to the fact that he'd had to work after leaving secondary school to save up money so he'd started university a year later than everyone else, and she'd been a bright-eyed freshman. They'd met by the snack table and she'd teased him about his grumpy face, making him smile. They'd been friends ever since.</p><p>After she graduated university herself four years later, she had grown to like the Riverlands a lot and had decided to stay. At the same time, Gendry's lease for his last flat had run out so it made perfect sense for them to get a flat together. They already knew that they got along and sharing the cost meant that they'd be able to get a slightly better flat in the better part of town that was in the perfect location for both of their jobs. Gendry was an engineer, working for a company called The Brotherhood, and she was a biologist, working at a wildlife sanctuary.</p><p>They were best friends, despite what everyone else thought about their relationship, and the fact that he was willing to get up before the sun had even risen to help her just proved that. She knew that she could count on him and he knew the same.</p><p>Almost an hour into the drive she flipped the radio on and plugged up her phone to let her workout playlist come through the speakers in and effort to keep them both alert. All of the songs were fast paced and had a steady beat so she figured that it would work even as the tiredness never fully left her body. She knew that they'd probably both need a nap before the day was out but for now, she thought they were fine.</p><p>She noticed Gendry tapping his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the beat and it made her grin as he complained about her music most of the time, saying that it just sounded angry. Looking at Gendry, with his tendency to wear black and the visible tattoos that ran along his arms, most people assumed that he listened to edgy punk rock but he actually tended to stray toward alternative rock and softer music instead. The fact that he was tapping along to her music made her want to tease him about his taste but she refrained for the time being. She did file it away for later though.</p><p>It was quiet between them, neither feeling inclined to fill the space with meaningless small talk, and it gave her the opportunity to look at her phone. She began searching for places that served food and opened early in White Harbor knowing that they likely wouldn't be able to get anything before then and saving them away in her notes as she worked at not worrying too much about Rickon. Whatever he'd been arrested for, she had to trust that he'd be okay until she got there to get him.</p><p>Finally, as they came upon the second hour of driving, they crossed into the outskirts of White Harbor and she looked up the address of the jail so that she could type it into the GPS which told them that it would still take them forty minutes to reach it. She leaned her head against the window as the empty fields and spread out houses slowly gave way to larger buildings and businesses until finally they reached the town center.</p><p>The jail was located next to the courthouse and as Gendry pulled into a parking spot, the sky had began to lighten above them. They both climbed out of the car and made their way inside, where a woman in a uniform sat behind a desk with a glass window, and she glanced at them when they stepped closer. The woman raised an eyebrow as her eyes traced over them making Arya suddenly aware of the fact that they were both still in their pajamas but she shoved that thought away as she smiled politely.</p><p>"Hi." She said, resting her hands lightly on the counter. "I got a call earlier from my brother and I'm here to pick him up."</p><p>"Name?" She asked.</p><p>"Rickon Stark." Arya answered and watched as the woman typed it into the computer. She clicked around for a minute before turning back to them.</p><p>"He's in our holding cell." She told them. "I'm going to need to see your ID's before I can release him on account of him being a minor and you'll have to pay his booking fee."</p><p>"How much?" She asked as she opened her wallet to fish out her ID as Gendry did the same next to her. They slid them across the counter to the woman as she looked at the computer once more.</p><p>"The booking fee is one hundred dollars." She answered and Arya looked at her with wide eyes for a moment.</p><p>"Are you serious?" She asked, the question slipping out before she could stop it and the woman gave her an unimpressed look.</p><p>"Yes, ma'am." She said as she grabbed the ID's. Arya sighed.</p><p>"Do you take checks?" She asked. "I don't have any physical money on me at the moment."</p><p>"We do." The woman answered and Arya nodded before grabbing a pen from the little cup on the counter to write out the check and slide it over as she accepted the ID's back. She handed Gendry his ID back before slipping hers back into her wallet and looked up to see the woman staring.</p><p>"What's his relationship to the inmate?" She asked, jerking her head toward Gendry.</p><p>"Is that important?" Arya asked.</p><p>"Since I'm releasing him into your custody, it is." She said.</p><p>"I'm Rickon's sister." She said. "He'll be safe with me."</p><p>"I still need to know." The woman insisted.</p><p>"Arya and I live together." Gendry told her, sliding his arm around her shoulders, and she knew what he was hoping that it would imply to the woman.</p><p>She was grateful for his quick thinking because the last thing she wanted to do was have to call her parents about this if they refused to release Rickon to her. She knew that they needed to know, and she intended to tell them, but if they had to wait for them to get here it would be another few hours.</p><p>"You're married?" The woman asked. "Because you don't have the same last name."</p><p>"We agreed that I could keep my last name." Arya said, rolling with it. "You didn't mind did you, honey?"</p><p>"Of course not." He replied, meeting her eyes. She could see the amusement lurking in his gaze and she had to work to keep from cracking up.</p><p>The woman looked at them both for a long moment before turning back to her computer to type some more before she printed out a stack of papers and slid them across the desk, pointing to each place that Arya had to sign or initial, before filing it away and motioning to the hard back chairs in the corner beside a vending machine.</p><p>"Wait there." She said. "I'll have his discharge processed immediately but it will still take a while."</p><p>She and Gendry moved toward the chair and she grimaced at the uncomfortable feel of them. They were padded but they might as well have not been as sitting in them felt like sitting on a slab of concrete and she found herself hoping that this didn't take that long.</p><hr/><p>It took another half-hour before the door leading to the back opened and Rickon was led out by a male officer. She was on her feet immediately as she moved to wrap her arms around her brother. He returned the hug for a moment before moving away and she ruffled his hair.</p><p>"Hey, Kiddo." She said.</p><p>"Thanks for coming." He said, glancing at Gendry over her shoulder to include him in the statement.</p><p>"Of course." She nodded. The officer cleared his throat to gain her attention before handing her a stack of papers.</p><p>"The county attorney will likely schedule him a court date in the next few weeks and he'll need to be present at the hearing." He said and she nodded.</p><p>"I'll make sure of it." She said, tucking the papers under her arm as she grabbed Rickon's arm lightly. "Is there anything else?"</p><p>"No, ma'am." He said.</p><p>"Alright, then we'll be going." She said before leading Rickon out to the car with Gendry trailing behind her. He pressed a button on his key to unlock the car and Arya ushered her brother into the backseat. "Are you hungry? Gendry and I haven't had breakfast yet."</p><p>"Um, I could eat." Rickon said hesitantly.</p><p>"Okay, then. I have a few restaurants that I searched up on the way here that we could chose from." She said before explaining the options. They finally settled on one that had an all-you-can-eat special and Gendry put the car into gear to pull out.</p><p>Arya noticed Rickon looking at her from the corner of her eye and she knew that he was waiting for her to bring up his arrest but she was taking a moment to collect her thoughts before she did. Plus, she was almost certain that their conversation would go better if they had some food and coffee first so waiting was really the best thing to do.</p><p>It didn't take long for Gendry to make it to the restaurant and, given the early hour, the parking lot was almost empty meaning that when they got inside they were seated almost immediately. They each ordered their drinks, a round of coffee and orange juice, and the all you could eat option before Gendry slipped out of his seat making her look at him in question.</p><p>"I'm just gonna call Davos and let him know I won't be in today so he can get someone to cover my meetings before this afternoon." He said, in answer to her look. "I'll be right back."</p><p>"Okay." She nodded.</p><p>She and Rickon got up and moved toward the buffet where they filled their plates with food before sitting back down. She stabbed her fork into the scrambled eggs and popped some in her mouth before taking a long drink of her coffee. Rickon kept his eyes on her, his face cautious, as he began eating slowly and she took a deep breath before giving him a serious look.</p><p>"So, you want to tell me what happened?" She asked and he sighed.</p><p>"I screwed up." He mumbled. She raised and eyebrow at him.</p><p>"Screwed up?" She asked. "Care to elaborate on that?"</p><p>"I got arrested for possession of Class B drugs." He said and her eyes widened.</p><p>"Class B?" She asked. "What the hell does that mean? What did you have?"</p><p>"I had a couple of ecstasy pills in my bag." He said, his shoulders hunching.</p><p>"Why?" She asked. "Tell me you're not taking them."</p><p>"I wasn't!" Rickon exclaimed just as Gendry returned to the table. "They belonged to someone else. I didn't know he'd put them in my bag but we were out at the mall and a police officer with a dog passed us and it started barking. Apparently that gave the officer just cause to search us and even though I told him that I didn't know about them, he arrested me."</p><p>"Who? Was he taking them? I don't think you should hang out with him anymore, regardless." She said, very aware that she sounded like her mother.</p><p>"He's not taking them." Rickon said, glancing at both of them before he lowered his voice. "He's selling them. He tried to get me to help him."</p><p>"I hope you told him no." She said.</p><p>"I did." Rickon said. "But he won't leave me alone. Says that since I'm a Stark, then more people will buy from me because our parents have money and they'll think it's higher quality than it really is."</p><p>"Did you try telling someone?" Gendry asked, as he returned once more from going to fill his plate.</p><p>"I can't." Rickon said.</p><p>"Why not?" Arya asked. Rickon chewed his lip, stuffing a bit of waffle in his mouth to keep from having to speak, and she raised an eyebrow at him. He stared at her for a long moment, probably hoping that she'd drop it, but finally he let out a long sigh.</p><p>"He threatened me." He said. "Said he'd beat the crap out of me and that he'd tell everyone about.....well, you know."</p><p>She noted that he glanced at Gendry when he said the last bit and she knew that it had to do with his sexuality that he didn't want to blurt out just in front of anyone. No one in their family cared about the fact that Rickon was gay, Sansa herself was married to another woman, but she respected his desire to keep it private.</p><p>"You should talk to your headmaster." Arya said. "Your school has a no tolerance policy for violence or drugs."</p><p>"I don't want to." Rickon said, stabbing at his waffle roughly.</p><p>"Why?" She asked. Rickon looked up at her with a glare.</p><p>" 'Cause they don't care!" He exclaimed. "They say all that stuff about their no tolerance policy but they don't actually enforce it. There was a boy last semester that was being bullied and when he went to the headmaster, they didn't do anything. It got so bad that his parents had to pull him out of school because he hurt himself."</p><p>"Mum and Dad could talk to them." She tried. "They donate a lot of money to the school, they might be able to persuade them to do something."</p><p>"No." Rickon shook his head. "I know he put them in my bag on purpose to get me arrested because I kept refusing to help him. I don't want to go back, I hate it there."</p><p>"Rick, you have to go back." She said gently. "You can't just disappear. They'll report it."</p><p>"We're on fall break." He said, looking at her as his face went from angry to pleading. "They won't notice until the break is over and maybe I can get mum and dad to pull me out by then. Please Arya, don't make me go back."</p><p>She blew out a long sigh and glanced at Gendry. They shared a long look before he cleared his throat.</p><p>"You could come stay with us for the rest of break if you want but we will have to call your parents and let them know." Gendry said and Rickon looked at him, his face lighting up.</p><p>"Really?" He asked.</p><p>"Yeah." Arya agreed. "And we'll talk to mum and dad together. Maybe we can come up with a solution."</p><p>"You promise?" Rickon asked, looking every bit like a little kid asking for help.</p><p>"I promise." She assured him.</p><p>The rest of breakfast passed without incident and, as promised, Arya paid for it before they went outside. After leaving the restaurant, they swung by Rickon's school to pick up a bag of clothes to bring with him from his dorm before they were on their way again. Before they left White Harbor completely, they stopped to fill up the car and she and Gendry switched places so she could drive the rest of the way home.</p><p>Halfway there, Rickon slumped over in the back seat and his soft snores started up a few minutes later. She glanced at her little brother through the rear view mirror for a moment before silently vowing to herself to do whatever she possibly could to protect him. He deserved that much.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They'd gone back to sleep after returning home, all three exhausted from the night before, and had woken up hours later. The first thing he did was check his phone and found a message from Davos telling him that he'd taken his meetings himself and saying that he'd give him a briefing the next morning when he came in which Gendry was grateful for.</p>
<p>When he finally made his way into the kitchen, he found Arya and Rickon already sitting at the table. Arya had a mug in her hand and was sipping on the coffee that she'd obviously just made as she motioned to the pot when he came in and Rickon was staring at the table with a petulant look on his face telling Gendry that he'd definitely walked in on some sibling talk. He intended to grab his own mug of coffee and leave them to it once more but he got distracted by looking through the fridge for something to eat resulting in him hearing the conversation.</p>
<p>"Okay Rick, we have to call mum and dad." Arya said. "You can't just stay here without them knowing and we need to sort out your school situation."</p>
<p>The tone of exasperation in her voice told him that this wasn't the first time she'd said those words during this conversation.</p>
<p>"I don't want to." Rickon said, sounding sullen.</p>
<p>"Why not?" Arya asked. "Why are you so adamant about not calling them? Look, I know they're going to be a little angry or disappointed but it'll be okay and the longer you wait the worse it'll be."</p>
<p>"They're gonna send me back!" Rickon exclaimed, his voice breaking slightly. It made Gendry stand up straight in surprise as he glanced over at the boy and his eyes caught hers for a moment before she turned back to her brother.</p>
<p>"If you explain the situation, I'm sure they'll figure something out." Arya said, her voice gentle.</p>
<p>"No, they won't." Rickon shook his head sounding close to tears.</p>
<p>"Why do you say that?" Arya asked.</p>
<p>"Because they don't care." Rickon said, rubbing his hands roughly over his face. "I'm too much, a troublemaker, and they don't want to deal with me. That's why they sent me to that stupid boarding school to begin with."</p>
<p>"Rick, that's not true." Arya said softly, reaching out to brush his hair back but he jerked away from her.</p>
<p>"Yes it is!" He exclaimed. "If we call them, they're gonna make me go back and I don't want to. Please Arya, don't let them send me back."</p>
<p>"Hey, it's okay." Arya said, moving to wrap her arms around her brother and hugging him tightly. </p>
<p>She glanced over and their eyes met once again, hers filled with concern, and he felt frozen in place as he wasn't sure what to do in that moment. He'd never really known what to do when confronted with such bare emotion as Rickon was displaying but he felt his heart clench in sympathy for the boy. </p>
<p>"Listen." Arya said as she pulled back. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm gonna run out and pick up something to eat for all of us and then we're gonna call our parents. I'll talk to them and stress the importance of not sending you back to that school and we'll figure out a plan together. Does that sound okay?"</p>
<p>"Yeah." Rickon said, sniffling lightly.</p>
<p>"Alright." Arya nodded firmly, standing from her seat. "You're okay staying here with Gendry while I'm out?"</p>
<p>Rickon glanced at him where he was still standing in the center of the kitchen with his mug in his hand and he shrugged.</p>
<p>"Sure." Rickon nodded.</p>
<p>"We can watch TV or something." Gendry added. Arya glanced between them for a moment.</p>
<p>"Alright then." She leaned over to press a kiss to the top of Rickon's head before she turned and walked to the door, catching his eye and motioning with her head for him to follow, and he glanced at Rickon.</p>
<p>"Why don't you go in find something on TV for us to watch." He suggested.</p>
<p>Rickon's eyes flickered between him and Arya and he raised an eyebrow at him, looking so much like his sister it was almost scary, before he stood and moved to the living room. Arya was waiting for him by the door, his car keys in her hand, and he gave her a questioning look as he stopped in front of her.</p>
<p>"I thought about picking up some seasonal donuts or something to cheer him up. Fall's his favorite season." She said with a shrug. "Anyway, do you need anything while I'm out since I am taking your car."</p>
<p>"I'm good." He said. "Maybe pick up some milk, we're almost out."</p>
<p>"Noted." She said with a nod before she glanced toward the living room. It couldn't be seen from the door but he knew that she wasn't actually trying to see anything anyway. "Look after him."</p>
<p>"I've got him, Arya." He assured her. "I can handle a teenage boy for an hour. It's not like you're leaving for weeks, it's just a trip to the store and to get something to eat. We'll be fine." </p>
<p>"I know." She sighed. "It's just, he's not usually like this. He's normally a pretty happy kid, I'm afraid something else happened that he's not telling us about that makes him so adamant about not going back. I'm worried about him."</p>
<p>"I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready if it's something serious." Gendry said, squeezing her shoulder lightly.</p>
<p>"Hopefully." She said before shaking her head and opening the door to step out into the hallway. "I'll be back soon."</p>
<p>"We'll be here." He said, closing the door behind her as she walked away.</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders before walking into the living room. Rickon had put on some supernatural show that he wasn't familiar with on sight and he glanced over at him when he sat on the other end of the couch from him.</p>
<p>"You know, you two don't have go out of my sight just to kiss. I can handle it." He said, sounding amused and making Gendry choke on the coffee he'd just taken a drink of. He coughed for a few moments before looking over at Rickon who was looking at him with a grin on his face.</p>
<p>"We weren't." He said quickly. "Kissing, I mean."</p>
<p>"Sure." Rickon said, sounding entirely unconvinced.</p>
<p>"She was just asking if I needed anything from the store." He insisted. Rickon held up his hands.</p>
<p>"Look man, I really don't care." He said. "My sister is a grown up, she can kiss whoever she wants, but could you keep the noise level down at night while I'm here? There are some things a brother doesn't need to hear."</p>
<p>"We're not sleeping together." Gendry said, his cheeks burning. He couldn't believe he was talking about this with Arya's teenaged brother. " We're just friends and roommates, nothing more. In case you didn't notice, we have separate rooms and all."</p>
<p>"Sounds as if you doth protest too much." Rickon said, his grin growing and Gendry rolled his eyes as he got the feeling that the kid was just trying to wind him up at this point.</p>
<p>"Whatever." He said grumpily and Rickon started laughing.</p>
<p>Silence fell between them after that as Rickon got sucked into whatever show he was watching but it wasn't uncomfortable and Gendry found that he didn't actually mind having him here even with his teasing. He wasn't quite a fan of whatever show they were watching but he didn't complain as it seemed to make the boy happy which he thought was a good thing.</p>
<p>Looking at Rickon, you couldn't tell that he'd been seemingly close to tears only half an hour before but Gendry had heard the real emotion in his voice when he'd been speaking to Arya and it made him think that she was right and something else had happened that he wasn't talking about. Whatever it was, he didn't want to do anything to bring the tears back out or make whatever it was worse so if the kid enjoyed watching werewolves tear each other apart on TV, he wasn't going to make him stop.</p>
<p>Something about Rickon just made him want to protect him. Perhaps it was because he looked so innocent with his dusting of freckles and messy curls but whatever it was, he wanted to help him in any way that he could.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Arya got back, he was happy to find that she'd picked up something at the Braavosi place that they both liked and regularly ordered from when they were too lazy to cook and Rickon seemed happy with it too. He was even more excited about the donuts that Arya showed him, all decorated with fall and Halloween designs, and her smile told him that she was happy that it they'd had the desired effect.</p>
<p>They finished the Braavosi take out and had each had a couple of donuts before Arya pulled out her phone and he saw Rickon's face fall immediately. Arya patted him on the shoulder lightly and Gendry got up to take their plates to the sink while the phone rang and he heard a woman's voice come over the speakers.</p>
<p>"Hey mum." Arya said, her voice forcibly cheery. "Is dad around? I wanted to talk to the two of you about something."</p>
<p>He turned and noticed that she had the phone facing only her so her parents couldn't see Rickon yet. Rickon, for his part, looked tense like he was about to run and Gendry had to wonder why he was so afraid to talk to his own parents. Or maybe he was just afraid to go back to White Harbor. Whichever it was, it made Gendry feel bad to see how uncomfortable he was.</p>
<p>"What's going on, love?" Came over the phone. Their father, Gendry recognized. Arya spoke to him at least once a week so Gendry could pick out his voice easily.</p>
<p>"I need you both to listen to me and not interrupt or get angry until I finish." Arya said.</p>
<p>"What's happened?" Her mother's voice, sounding disapproving.</p>
<p>"Rickon's here with me and Gendry in our flat." She said.</p>
<p>"Why?" Her mother asked. "Why isn't he at school?"</p>
<p>"I thought I asked you both not to interrupt." Arya said firmly before continuing. "He called me last night to ask for help. There's a boy at his school who's been pressuring him to sell drugs and when Rick kept refusing, the boy planted drugs on him and he got arrested. When I picked him up, he didn't want to go back to his school so we brought him back home with us."</p>
<p>"Where is he?" Her father asked and Arya glanced at Rickon before handing the phone over. Gendry gave him an encouraging smile.</p>
<p>"Are you alright, son?" Their father asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah." Rickon said, his voice small. "I don't want to go back to White Harbor, dad. Please don't make me."</p>
<p>"You have to finish school Rickon." Their mother said. "We'll call the headmaster and talk to him about these accusations and everything will be fine."</p>
<p>"No!" Rickon exclaimed. "I don't want to go back there. I can finish school anywhere else, just please, don't send me back."</p>
<p>"Why do you not want to go back?" Theur father's voice came again, sounding calming and gentle.</p>
<p>"Because they're all going to know!" Rickon exclaimed, making his eyes widen as he looked at Arya. </p>
<p>"Know what?" Arya asked gently.</p>
<p>"That I'm gay." Rickon said, seeming to forget about his parents on the phone as he turned his head to look at her. "That boy I told you about whose parents had to take him out of school because of the bullying, it was because there was a picture going around of him kissing another boy. You could see his face but not the other boys so he's the one who got bullied for it but, it was my fault. It was me in the picture with him. I don't know how anyone got it, we didn't take it ourselves, but they made him try to kill himself." Tears were slipping down his cheeks. "I didn't do anything or say anything when they were bullying him because I was scared they'd find out it was me but the guy who got me arrested knows. He's going to tell everyone. Please don't make me go back."</p>
<p>"He can stay with us." Gendry said suddenly, not even thinking about the words before they left his mouth, making both of them look at him.</p>
<p>"What?" Arya asked. Gendry moved around to where they both were and took the phone from Rickon so he could see their parents, both staring at the phone with shocked expressions, and he sat down in the chair next to Arya so they were both in frame.</p>
<p>"Rickon can stay with us and finish school here in the Riverlands." He repeated. He hadn't really thought about it until this moment but looking at Rickon's tear-stained cheeks, it felt like the right thing to do. Arya was looking at him with surprise before she seemed to shake it off.</p>
<p>"He's right." She said, glancing back at her parents. "Mum, you went to school here in the Riverlands. I'm sure you know some good schools that Rickon could go to. It sounds as if White Harbor doesn't take their own policies very seriously so Rick shouldn't be going there anyway. Gendry and I can look after him while he's here and make sure that he doesn't get into any trouble and we'll be here if he needs anything."</p>
<p>"Are you sure about that, Arya." Her father asked. "Both of you have full time jobs. Are you sure you can handle looking after him?"</p>
<p>"We definitely can." Gendry said, glancing over at Rickon who was looking at them hopefully even while tears still dripped from his eyes. "It's not like he's a little kid. We'll give him a key to the flat so he can get in after school. Both of us get off around five or six depending on the day so he'd only really be alone for a couple of hours a day."</p>
<p>"You really think this is the best option?" Her mother asked, her lips pursed as a considering look came over her face.</p>
<p>"I do." Arya said. "It's obvious to me that White Harbor isn't the right school for him and I think he'll be happier here with us. We'll take care of him."</p>
<p>"Alright, if you're sure." Her mother said. "I'll call my old school and see if the have an opening. We'll get him transferred before the break ends and he'll be able to start quickly."</p>
<p>"Really?" Rickon asked, snatching the phone from his hand and turning it so he could see his parents. "I can really stay here? You're really not going to send me back?"</p>
<p>"If this is what you want." Their father said. "We just want you to be happy and we want you to be somewhere that will help you."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Rickon said, his voice breaking as a new wave of tears rolled over his cheeks.</p>
<p>"We'll get everything settled. Don't worry, love." Their mother said. "I'll send everything you'll need to get him enrolled along on an email after I get it together."</p>
<p>That last part was obviously meant for Arya who nodded.</p>
<p>"Okay mum." She commented. </p>
<p>They took a moment to say goodbye to their parents while he stood once more, intending to give them some privacy, but he only made it a few steps before Rickon launched himself at him. He froze in surprise as Rickon's arms wrapped tightly around him and his eyes went wide as they darted over his head to find Arya. Their eyes met and a look of amusement crossed her face as she raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to return the hug. He wrapped his arms around the boy and just held onto him until he pulled back.</p>
<p>"Thank you." He said.</p>
<p>"For what?" Gendry asked.</p>
<p>"For saying I could stay." Rickon said softly. "They would have sent me back, I know it. So, thank you."</p>
<p>"It's not a problem." Gendry said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Between you and me, White Harbor sounds shit."</p>
<p>Rickon let out a surprised laugh at his words. "It is."</p>
<p>"Well, Arya and I are happy to have you here." Gendry said. Rickon smiled.</p>
<p>"So, where am I going to sleep?" He asked and Gendry's eyes went wide again as he glanced over Rickon's shoulder at Arya. He'd forgotten until that moment that their flat only had two bedrooms.</p>
<p>"We'll figure it out." Arya said, coming up to them and wrapping her arm around her brother. "But don't worry, you're not going anywhere. We're gonna take care of you." </p>
<p>Rickon's large smile and obvious happiness was enough for him. Arya was right, they'd figure it out. All he knew for certain was that Rickon wouldn't be going back to a place that made him feel like shit just because of who he was and that was enough.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a stressful week getting everything prepared for Rickon to transfer to Riverrun Academy but they'd finally gotten everything into place. Her parents had filed some papers with their lawyer and sent them over for her to sign that gave her temporary custody of Rickon so she could sign him into school herself or take him to the doctor if he needed it while Gendry had taken time out of his schedule to drive Rickon back to White Harbor to pick up the rest of his things from his dorm room and bring them back.</p>
<p>The most awkward part of the whole move was figuring out everyone's sleeping arrangements. She had no problem sharing a room with her little brother but he <em>was</em> a teenaged boy and she figured that he needed his own space. There were some things that she just didn't want to be privy to. This left them with the dilemma of where she was going to sleep if she gave her room to Rickon and it was decided that she and Gendry would just share a room because, as Gendry pointed out, they'd been friends forever. It really wasn't a big deal for them to share a bed for sleeping.</p>
<p>They spent the week clearing space in Gendry's room for her to move her clothing and other things, though some of it stayed in her old room because there was just too much to fit, and moving Rickon into the room. By the end of the long week they were finally settled but they were left with the slight issue that Riverrun academy didn't come back from break for another three days. Rickon was fifteen and could technically stay home alone but neither she nor Gendry felt quiet ready for that and Rickon didn't seem too inclined to be on his own either so as a result, Arya brought him to work with her.</p>
<p>Her boss, a surly older man by the name of Sandor, didn't seem to care when she brought Rickon along and explained to him what was going on just so long as he didn't interfere with their work. That day they were checking on the large pack of wolves that resided in the sanctuary as one of the female wolves had just given birth to pups. It was late in the year for pups to be born so they were keeping an eye on them to make sure that they were growing and healthy. Rickon seemed to think that it was the coolest thing as he kept stealing the extra pair of binoculars from the box so he could see them.</p>
<p>She and Sandor were quiet, neither of them big on small talk as the were working, and she was noting down information while he snapped pictures of the pups that they'd add to the file documenting the pack back at the office. </p>
<p>Gendry was planning on taking Rickon to work with him the next day and she kind of wondered what he'd think about Gendry's job. She could tell that he liked hers but she didn't think he was particularly interested in the biology side of it and rather was just excited to see the animals. She wasn't sure if he'd like engineering either but she was sure Gendry would find something interesting to show him anyway. </p>
<p>After checking on the pack, which seemed to be doing well, they moved on to the other animals in the sanctuary until they completed the circuit. Once they got back to the main office building, she started entering the information she'd gathered into the computer while Rickon sat in the corner and messed around on his phone. He seemed board now that they were outside looking at the animals but he didn't complain so she figured that he would be fine for a little while. </p>
<p>A couple of hours later, they were ready to go home and she decided to pick up something rather than cooking and sent a text to Gendry to let him know before calling in an order. She decided on pizza instead of something more complicated and Rickon smiled when she ordered him his own personal pizza that he didn't have to share with anyone which made her roll her eyes slightly at the seemingly endless appetite of teenage boys. She wasn't quiet sure how her little brother ate so much without gaining a single pound. Honestly, he should weigh a ton and it made no sense that he was so thin.</p>
<p>When they got home, she dropped the pizza boxes on the counter and Rickon slid his off the top to immediately move to the table while she pulled out her phone. She'd been too busy throughout the day to make the call to the school that she needed to so she hoped that there was still someone in the office to answer. Thankfully, after a few rings, someone picked up on the other end.</p>
<p>"Riverrun Academy, this is Anna." A cheery voice came over the line.</p>
<p>"Yes, hi. I'm Arya Stark, my brother Rickon will be starting school with you guys after the break ends." She explained. "And I was just calling to make sure that you had everything you needed or if there was something else we needed to do."</p>
<p>"Oh." The woman, Anna said, and Arya heard the clacking of a keyboard through the phone. "It seems that we have all of his information and transcripts from his last school so that's good. There's only one thing left for you to do before he starts school."</p>
<p>"And what's that?" She asked, her fingers tapping against the counter.</p>
<p>"We like to meet the parents or guardians of our kids before they start." Anna said. "I would like to schedule a tour for you where you can meet Rickon's teachers and they can meet you before school starts again."</p>
<p>"Okay, I guess." She said. "That's fine."</p>
<p>"May I ask, does anyone else live with you and your brother?" She asked.</p>
<p>"Um yeah." She said in confusion. "Why?"</p>
<p>"We like to meet the people that our students reside with and spend much of their time out of school around." Anna explained. "Just so that we can understand them better and hopefully provide them with the best possible education and support that they may need."</p>
<p>"Alright." She said slowly. "So you want us both to come in for the tour?"</p>
<p>"If at all possible, yes." Anna said.</p>
<p>"Okay, I'll speak to him about it." She said, still not sure why they seemed to care so much but trying to be polite.</p>
<p>"Alright then." Anna said and more clacking followed her words. "I've scheduled you in for a tour on the day before school starts back at ten am. Is that alright?"</p>
<p>"It's fine." She said, shaking her head. "We can take the morning off work and come in."</p>
<p>"Good." Anna said. "I look forward to meeting all of you."</p>
<p>"Sure." She said before hanging up and muttering to herself. "That was weird."</p>
<p>She shook her head and slipped her phone back in her pocket before moving to join Rickon at the table with her own pizza and he glanced at her as she sat down, a half eaten slice in his hand, and she raised a brow at him.</p>
<p>"What?" She asked and he shook his head.</p>
<p>"Nothing." He said. "Just thought you'd wait for Gendry to get home so the two of you could eat together."</p>
<p>"Why?" She asked, opening her pizza box. </p>
<p>" 'Cause that's what you always do." He shrugged. "I noticed it in the last week I've been staying here. You always wait for each other so you can eat dinner together."</p>
<p>"We don't do it all the time." She rolled her eyes. "It's just that this week has been a little strange so we added a bit of routine."</p>
<p>"Mmm hmm." Rickon hummed through a bit of pizza, sounding entirely unconvinced.</p>
<p>"Alright." She said, giving him a pointed look. "What exactly do you think is happening here because you obviously disagree with my words."</p>
<p>"I just think it's interesting that the two of you have no problem sharing a bed and that you cut out time during a busy week just to have dinner together." He said, a smirk on his lips. "Sounds like a relationship to me, to be honest."</p>
<p>"For the love of the gods Rick, Gendry and I aren't dating." She said, already accustomed to her brother's less than subtle comments and looks whenever she and Gendry interacted. The first few times he'd made a comment, they'd both turned red and started sputtering which Rickon seemed to enjoy, but they'd learned to ignore him by the second day.</p>
<p>"Maybe not." Rickon shrugged. "But you totally could be. I mean, I think the two of you would make an awesome couple."</p>
<p>"He's my best friend." She said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. "That's all it is."</p>
<p>"That's what they always say." He commented. "But you're sharing a room and a bed, it's only a matter of time before the sexual tension between you two snaps. That's what happens in all the movies."</p>
<p>"Okay. One, please never say the words <em>sexual tension</em> again. And two, this isn't a movie, lower your expectations." She said, shaking her head.</p>
<p>"I maintain that I'm right." Rickon said. "You'll see and then I'll get to say I told you so."</p>
<p>"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you." She deadpanned.</p>
<p>Rickon shrugged again but chose not to comment so she was left rolling her eyes and shoving pizza into her mouth as she ignore her brother's words. He was a teenager who watched a few too many romantic comedies so she didn't put much stock into his words. She and Gendry had been friends for years, if there was any sexual tension between them as Rickon said she had no doubt that it would have boiled over long before now. After all, neither of them were particularly skilled at suppressing their impulses.</p>
<p>When Gendry finally got home an hour later, she moved to sit with him at the table so that they could talk about their day and she could inform him of the tour that they both needed to be present for at Rickon's school, all the while ignoring her brother throwing them knowing looks. It was then that she decided that she really needed to find something to occupy Rickon and his obviously full imagination so that he wasn't so intently focused on the two of them. She wasn't sure what would work but she'd find something.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The morning of their scheduled tour she woke as she had throughout the rest of the week, with Gendry's arms wrapped around her and the blanket tangled around their bodies making her feel overheated. He was honestly like a furnace and it made much more sense to her now why he wore such thin pajamas even in the winter. She was pretty sure that she was sweating but she'd learned from previous days that there was no way for her to get free until Gendry started waking up because if she moved, he would just pulled her back into him tighter. He was like an octopus as his limbs wrapped around her and his grip was tight for someone who wasn't even conscious.</p>
<p>She sighed and moved her head slightly to glance at the clock on the bedside table. It read seven am so she knew that they still had time before they needed to wake up so instead of elbowing Gendry awake, which she had done in the last week when she needed to get up to use the bathroom and he wouldn't let go, she just relaxed back into the mattress. She knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep but she didn't mind laying there for a little longer.</p>
<p>She could admit, if only to herself, that it was kind of nice to wake up with someone's arms around her even if it was just her best friend. She was fine with being alone but it was still nice have someone there. It was strange because with her last boyfriend, which had been over a year ago, she hadn't particularly liked cuddling. She'd felt suffocated when his arms were around her so she'd gone out of her way to avoid it, which had likely been one of the things that led to their breakup, but it didn't feel that way with Gendry. She wasn't sure why but she didn't want to think about it too much because if she did Rickon's smug face would pop up in her mind and she didn't want to think about his theories about their suppressed feelings for each other. That wasn't what this was.</p>
<p>It was more that she just trusted Gendry and they'd been friends for long enough that laying together like this didn't feel the same as it did with a boyfriend. With her boyfriend it had felt like he was trying to claim her, especially when he'd cuddle her on the couch in full view of Gendry himself, because he'd always been insecure about her living with another guy. Another thing that had contributed to their breakup. With Gendry, it didn't feel possessive or anything like that and she figured that was why she liked it. Just being close to another human being without any expectations was nice.</p>
<p>Gendry groaned softly behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts as his arms dragged her closer, and she let out a sigh as she became even warmer. She knew with him moving around, it meant that he was going to be waking up soon, but until then she'd be stuck with her own personal space heater pressed directly against her. She almost immediately started sweating even more but she didn't dare move. She'd made that mistake one morning and he'd slung his leg over hers as well and nearly enveloped her with his own body so it was better to stay still until he woke up. </p>
<p>The problem though was that after she stopped focusing on how warm she was, her brain began registering other things. Due to the movement of him dragging her closer, his hand had slid under her shirt and was now, quietly literally, cupping her breast and she was not wearing a bra so she could feel the rough calluses built up from years of manual labor. She made a soft sound and shifted slightly in an attempt to dislodge his hand but it had the opposite effect of making his hand spasm slightly and squeeze her boob lightly.</p>
<p>It also meant that her hips were now flush against his and she could feel his cock through his thin pajama pants and, given that it was morning, he was hard against her. She closed her eyes and bit her lip in an attempt to focus on anything else but it had been a while since she'd had sex so her mind was acutely aware of her position. She tried desperately to remind herself that this was Gendry, her best friend and roommate, but her body didn't seem to care. The feel of his rough skin against her boob and his hard cock pressed to her ass made her body feel like a live wire and she felt herself growing wet even though nothing had actually happened. </p>
<p>She shifted to press her legs together to get some form of relief for the insistent throbbing of her center but that only served to do just as she had suspected and Gendry threw his leg over hers which only pressed his cock more firmly to her. Normally when she got the urge, she'd just take care of it herself with her trusty vibrating friend but she couldn't very well do that now which left her feeling frustrated. It became even worse when Gendry shifted and his hips rolled against her, forcing an embarrassing whimper from her lips.</p>
<p><em>Seven Hells, Rickon.</em> </p>
<p>She cursed her brother in her mind for even putting the thoughts in her mind even as she reminded herself that her body's reaction didn't have to anything to do with the fact that it was Gendry who was pressed against her but rather just that he was male and it had been a while. She was sexually frustrated, that was true, but not specifically because of Gendry.</p>
<p>She kept reminding herself of those words as Gendry finally seemed to be reaching consciousness and, in his half-awake state, made a soft humming noise as his hand squeezed her boob again lightly and his hips rolled against her once more. Her body was a lit fuse and every movement he made sent sparks through her but she ignored them as he finally seemed to come fully awake and jerked away from her as if she'd burnt him.</p>
<p>"Gods, sorry!" He exclaimed, his voice still rough with sleep, and she cleared her throat as she sat up. </p>
<p>"It's okay." She said, somehow forcing the words out without sounding as awkward as she felt.</p>
<p>She glanced at him to find him rubbing the back of his neck with flushed cheeks and she was glad that she wasn't the only one feeling a little out of her comfort zone.</p>
<p>"Anyway, I think I'm gonna take a shower." She said suddenly. "You think you could check on Rickon and make sure he's up?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, no problem." He said, sliding out of the bed all while still not really looking at her. "I'll get some breakfast started too."</p>
<p>"Sounds good." She said and he nodded rapidly before slipping out of the bedroom.</p>
<p>When he was gone, she buried her face in her hands and just took a moment to breath before getting up herself.</p>
<p>"Come on, Arya. Get yourself together." She muttered to herself as she gathered her things for the shower and moved to the bathroom. </p>
<p>She locked the door and turned the shower on before stripping of her pajamas and climbing in. She let the water run over her for a few minutes as she forced her body to calm down and she came to the conclusion that she seriously needed to get laid. Maybe she could see if Ned Dayne was around, he was always willing to have a no stings attached romp and maybe it would make her a little less obviously horny. She tried to ignore the guilt that the thought made her feel, mostly because she didn't quite understand where it was coming from, and resolved to at least text him later.</p>
<p>When she finally left the bathroom and made her way to the other room, Rickon was sitting at the table eating pancakes and there was a large stack on a plate in the center next to jam and syrup. Gendry was filling two mugs with coffee and pressed one into her hand as she moved to sit with Rickon seeming ready to move past the awkward start to their morning which she was grateful for. </p>
<p>She found herself staring at Gendry throughout breakfast and, almost without her permission, Rickon's words came back to her. He thought they'd make a good couple. She hadn't ever really considered a relationship between them before but with Rickon's words in her head, it made it easier to imagine and when she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him, she forced the thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't let Rickon influence her. Gendry was her best friend, o<em>nly</em> her best friend. She wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that, even if she might be a little curious.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A shorter chapter this time but things are starting to happen so strap in guys.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they parked in front of Riverrun Academy, Gendry began to understand why Arya had insisted that he wore a button up shirt and tie to the tour. The school had an honest to gods crest and the building looked more like a castle than anything else. Needless to say, he felt out of his depth and he was reminded starkly that Arya's family were very rich. He sometimes forgot about that fact because Arya refused to use her trust fund, which still astounded him that she actually had, and preferred to use the money that she made from working. Not to mention she was one of the most down to earth people he knew which made it easy to forget that she'd grown up with all the privilege and had attended private schools her whole life while he'd been bouncing around foster homes and going to the shittiest public school around. The fact that they'd even attended the same university, a public one, still astounded him.</p><p>When they climbed out of the car, Arya led them toward the front entrance with determination. Rickon walked slightly behind her while Gendry hurried to stay beside them both. When they reached the door, a woman was already waiting for them with a bright smile on her face. She had shoulder length blond hair and was wearing a grey pencil skirt with a clipboard in her hand.</p><p>"Hi, I'm Anna." She introduced herself, reaching out to shake hands with all three of them before her gaze settled on Arya. "I believe we spoke on the phone."</p><p>"Yes, we did." Arya nodded. "I'm Arya and this is Gendry, and of course Rickon."</p><p>"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Anna said, her smile still in place and Gendry wondered for a moment if she had Botox or something and couldn't actually move her face. He then realized his inner voice was reverting to his snarky teenaged self who'd felt inferior in the face of private schools and the obvious display of wealth and told himself to stop being a little shit. "Would you like to begin the tour now?"</p><p>"Yeah." Arya shrugged. "That would be good."</p><p>They were led inside and Gendry found that strangely the inside of the school was much less opulent than the outside. There were cork boards on the walls with art work and awards for the students tacked on, reminding him of every other school, and he felt a slight bit of relief that not everything was so different. While they were being given the tour, Anna informed them of the extracurricular and clubs that were available like swimming, art, and rugby and so many more that Gendry lost track after a while. </p><p>They were shown to each classroom that Rickon had on his schedule and introduced to the teachers that he would be studying with for the term who all seemed nice and supportive. He noted that a couple of them dropped their gaze to his and Arya's hands when they were being introduced but he couldn't figure out why until the third teacher did the same and it finally clicked in his mind. They were looking for wedding rings, which obviously neither of them were wearing given that they weren't actually married. </p><p>None of the teachers said anything but he could read the small hint of surprise on each of their faces when they noticed it. It occurred to him that Riverrun was a prestigious school and that many of the upper class people still held with the old ideals that if a man and women lived together then they must be married. He was almost certain that Arya noticed it too, and had likely seen it before he had, because she'd grown up in the same society. In fact, Gendry knew that her mother held some of the same values as it was well known that she didn't approve of them living together when they weren't even in a relationship. He wondered for a moment how she would feel if she knew that they now shared a bed. He certainly wasn't going to be the one who told her. </p><p>When the tour began to come to an end over an hour later Arya finally broached the subject that they had both talked about needing to discuss.</p><p>"I wanted to ask something." She started, glancing at him for a moment as Anna turned to face her completely.</p><p>"Of course." Anna said, her face open and friendly. "I'll answer any questions that I can for you."</p><p>"I want to know what your policy on violence and bullying is like." She said seriously.</p><p>"We have a no tolerance policy for violence and bullying." Anna answered immediately.</p><p>"Yes, I assumed so." Arya said. "What I meant was, how is it enforced? Because at the last school, they had a similar policy but it wasn't followed through. I want to know that my brother will be safe when he comes here every day."</p><p>"You don't have to worry about that." Anna assured them. "The first incident with violence and bullying lands the perpetrator with a two week suspension and they are written up. If it happens a second time, they're removed from the school entirely. We don't allow violence or bullying within our school at all."</p><p>"What about discrimination?" Gendry put in, glancing at Rickon. He didn't want to reveal his sexuality without his consent but he knew that their was another angle he could use. " What would the school do about discrimination, from teachers or students, on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation, because the Starks are northern and they still follow the Old Gods. I want to know if Rickon would be affected because of his beliefs or anything like that."</p><p>"We also don't allow discrimination." Anna said. "We respect everyone's beliefs, race, and sexual orientations here. If the discrimination came from a teacher they would immediately be placed on leave until the board could decide what to do and if it came from a student, the same rules apply as for physical violence."</p><p>"Would we be notified if something did happen?" Arya asked.</p><p>"Yes." Anna nodded. "Any incident prompts a report, which a copy of would be sent to parents and guardians, and you would also receive a phone call to inform you of the incident immediately following it."</p><p>"Okay, good." Arya nodded.</p><p>"Do you have anymore questions?" Anna asked.</p><p>"Not at the moment, no." Arya shook her head. "Gendry?"</p><p>"Nope." He said.</p><p>"Alright then." Anna said, turning back around and leading them back toward the entrance of the school. "I think that concludes our tour. Here is a folder that includes a list of the clubs and activities that we discussed today and a copy of the school handbook for you to look over. If you have any further questions, feel free to call or set up an appointment to discuss them with our headmaster." She said, placing a navy blue folder with the school crest embossed on the front of it in Arya's arms before turning to Rickon. "We're excited to have you join us, Rickon. If you'll come by the front office tomorrow morning you'll receive a copy of your schedule and someone will be around to help you settle in."</p><p>"Cool." Rickon commented with a nod. </p><p>Arya wrapped her arm through her brother's as they left the building and he trailed slightly behind them as they made their way back to the car. Once they were sitting inside, Arya tossed the folder onto the dash and turned all the way around in her seat to look at Rickon in the back and he had to force himself not to look at the amount of skin that the movement unveiled as her dress rode up.</p><p>In all the time that they'd been friends he'd never thought about her in a sexual way, or at least not after the first few weeks of knowing her (in which they technically hadn't been friends yet), but now he couldn't seem to get it out of his mind. He knew it had to do with sharing a bed with her. It had been his suggestion because he honestly hadn't thought it would be a big deal but obviously it was. Having her pressed against him every night had awoken something in him that he wished he could shove back down because it honestly made him feel like a perve. </p><p>The way they'd woken up that morning and the feel of her breast in his hand and her ass pressed against him was seared into his brain, making him feel a little crazy. This was Arya, his best friend, and he was suddenly lusting after her like a teenager. He didn't understand where all of it was coming from and because of that he couldn't even attempt to make it stop. It did occur to him though that she hadn't exactly moved this morning. He knew she'd been awake before him because when she spoke it was obvious in her voice that she'd at least been awake for a while and it made him wonder why she hadn't moved away from him.</p><p>He wasn't sure how long he'd been holding her bare breast in his hand or how long he'd been rolling his hips into hers before he'd come fully to consciousness but he assumed that it had been long enough for her to move if she'd wanted. Maybe she just hadn't wanted to wake him but maybe there was something else there. Maybe she hadn't minded his movements as much as he'd convinced himself she must have.</p><p>"Are we going?" Arya's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he shook his head slightly when he saw both of them staring at him in question.</p><p>"What?" He asked and Arya raised a brow.</p><p>"I said, are we going?" She repeated. "Because as much as I like the scenery, we do have to go to work at some point today."</p><p>He realized in that moment that he'd missed the entire conversation between the siblings as he'd been going over that morning in his head and he forced himself to shove the thoughts away as he put the car into gear.</p><p>"Sorry, got distracted." He said as they pulled out into the parking lot.</p><p>"What were you thinking about?" She asked and he had to fight not to flush.</p><p>"Um, nothing really." He told her. "Just spaced, I guess. Anyway, what are we going to do with Rickon for the rest of the day?"</p><p>"Hmm." Arya hummed lightly before her eyes flickered up to the rear view mirror where they could see Rickon messing around on his phone. "Hey Rick, do you want to stay at the flat or do you want to come to work with me again?"</p><p>"Could I go with Gendry?" He asked, his head coming up so he could look at them. "Your work is nice and all but his is so cool."</p><p>They shared a glance and he could see the question in her eyes prompting him to shrug.</p><p>"I don't mind." Gendry said.</p><p>"You won't get in trouble?" Arya asked. "I know you already took him once but won't the boss get mad if you keep bringing him?"</p><p>"You've met Beric and Davos both." He said, raising a brow. "Tell me, do you really think either of them is going to say anything about me bringing him?"</p><p>"I guess that's a fair point." She said, laughing softly before looking back at Rickon once more. "Alright then. Go with Gendry."</p><p>"Yes!" Rickon exclaimed pumping his fist in the air as much as he could manage in the car.</p><p>He and Arya shared another glance, both with large smiles and amusement in their eyes, while Rickon celebrated in the backseat. Gendry found the boy endearing and didn't mind having him around at all. There was something about Rickon that made Gendry just want to protect him. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he reminded him so strongly of Arya.</p>
<hr/><p>After dropping Arya back at the flat to pick up her own car, which had finally been finished at the garage, Rickon climbed into the front seat as they drove further into the city. As a treat, Gendry went through the drive through and got him an iced latte, which he'd noticed Arya and Rickon shared a love of, while getting himself a black coffee with just a bit of cream and sugar. He knew he'd probably regret it later when Rickon was bouncing around like the ball of energy he was but it made him smile so Gendry didn't mind so much. </p><p>When they got to work, Rickon followed behind him eagerly as they took the elevator to the top floor. Everyone was in the conference room when he arrived so they slipped inside easily. The company had recently gotten a contract for the design of a whole new amusement park that would be going up just outside of city limits and the whole team was working on it while still completing their smaller projects. They had weekly meetings with all of them for the project, which had happened to fall on that day, and they were already deep in discussion so he slotted himself into a seat at the table quietly so he didn't disturb the others too much.</p><p>Rickon was staring at the screen and seemed to be taking in every word, fascinated with the process, and it made Gendry wonder fleetingly if he might just grow up to be an engineer himself. He seemed to love everything that went along with it, after all.</p><p>He took out his notepad and began jotting down his thoughts and things the others were saying before jumping in with his own suggestions. The meeting lasted for another half hour before they were all dismissed and he made his way to his desk to begin digitally rendering the new dimensions for the buildings that had been discussed. Rickon sat next to him and every once in a while he'd ask a question about how something would work or what he was doing and Gendry would answer patiently. After a while, Anguy came by and leaned on the edge of his desk making Gendry raise a brow at him.</p><p>"Do you need something?" He asked pointedly.</p><p>"I see you've brought your little friend again." He said, glancing at Rickon. "Shouldn't you be in school, kid?"</p><p>"It doesn't start until tomorrow." Gendry answered for him. "He wanted to come with me so here we are."</p><p>"You like engineering?" Anguy asked, speaking directly to Rickon. Rickon seemed a bit shy but he answered anyway.</p><p>"I think so." He said. "It looks cool and it's awesome that you guys get to design actual amusement parks."</p><p>"Yeah." Anguy laughed. "Maybe we'll let you test ride the attractions first before everyone else."</p><p>"That's not happening." Gendry said before Rickon could reply.</p><p>"Why's that?" Anguy asked. "You don't think our engineering is good enough?"</p><p>"Our engineering is great." Gendry countered. "That doesn't mean I'm willing to risk Rickon just in case it fails. Besides, Arya would murder me if I let something happen to her little brother."</p><p>"Alright, I'll give you that." Anguy said. "We'd probably never even find the body. For someone so small, she can be terrifying."</p><p>"Don't I know it." Gendry said. He had a horrible feeling that it came out more fond than he'd meant it to judging by the smirks he received from both of them.</p><p>"Well, I better get back to work before Beric actually follows through with his threat and fires me." Anguy said, tipping an imaginary hat to Rickon before leaving and Gendry rolled his eyes.</p><p>"I like him." Rickon commented. "He seems fun."</p><p>"He can be." Gendry shrugged. "When he's not being insufferable."</p><p>He went back to his work and even allowed Rickon to help a bit after he showed him how to use the program and the hours ticked by quicker than usual. he felt almost surprised when his computer dinged with a message to remind him of his upcoming meeting. His secondary project was a contract with the local water company who were putting in new lines for a newly developed neighborhood a bit further out from the city and he'd set up a meeting with the head of the company to discuss the best place for the lines to be placed before the build was complete.</p><p>He continued with his other work until he was informed of the man's arrival and he went to one of the smaller meeting rooms where their discussion would take place. Rickon sat in a chair to the left of him and swore he'd be quiet before the man was brought up for the meeting. When he came in Gendry noticed that his eyes went to Rickon for a moment before coming back to him as they were shaking hands. He'd brought a couple of people with him, who he introduced as his Head of Construction and his Business Manager. Gendry introduced himself to them in turn and shook their hands as well before bringing up the plans he'd laid out on the projection board behind him.</p><p>They discussed the plans and possible changes for about thirty minutes before they began to discuss among themselves and he heard them mention possible delays which he hoped wouldn't make them to angry. He knew that the plan he'd come up with was solid and was also the best possible option, even if it might take a bit longer, so he was hoping that they would go along with it. The last thing he wanted to have to go back and revise the plans once more.</p><p>Thankfully, after a few minutes, they seemed to decide that it was worth the slight delay because they began to discuss plans for putting everything into action and asked him questions about a possible time frame for the work to begin. All the while, he noted that Rickon had put down his phone and was sitting with one of his extra notepads and seemed to be actually jotting down words. He was unsure what the boy was recording but it certainly made him look more professional.</p><p>"Is this your assistant then?" The company head asked, motioning to Rickon. "He seems awful young. No offense intended."</p><p>"Oh, no." Gendry shook his head. "He was out of school today so I brought him to work with me. He's not an employee."</p><p>"He's yours?" The Head of Construction asked, surprise obvious in his voice.</p><p>"No. No, no, no." He said quickly, waving his hands. "He's not my son. He's...."</p><p>He wasn't sure where to go from there because their situation was a bit complicated but Rickon seemed to know exactly what to say.</p><p>"He lives with my sister." Rickon said. "They've lived together since she graduated university and I just moved in with them."</p><p>"Oh." The Head of Construction nodded. "I was going to say that you must have been awful young when you had him, which no judgement, but that makes more sense. You're his sister's boyfriend."</p><p>"We're not - " He started before cutting himself off and shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. Let's get back to the topic at hand."</p><p>He immediately launched back into the plans and time frames while steadfastly ignoring Rickon's smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing when he'd explained their situation like he did, Gendry was sure of it.  He was beginning to suspect that Rickon just loved to watch him and Arya squirm and that was why he did it but he was still unsure if the boy actually believed what he was saying or not. Before he'd moved in, Gendry would have said that his theories about their relationship were absurd, but the more he thought about it the more he realized that it was maybe closer to the truth than he'd let himself believe before. He had to constantly remind himself that Arya was his best friend and he didn't want to ruin that just to keep himself from doing something stupid. <em>Like kissing her</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arya was woken by the ringing of her phone and she groaned as she rolled over to grab it from the nightstand while Gendry made a soft annoyed sound behind her. The bright light from the screen in the darkness of the room blinded her temporarily as she looked at the screen but once she saw that it was Jon calling she answered immediately.</p>
<p>"Jon." She greeted.</p>
<p>"Your voice sounds kind of rough. Are you sick or something?" Jon asked, sounding annoyingly awake.</p>
<p>"It's barely five in the morning, I just woke up." She said, clearing her throat. She noticed Gendry crack an eye open to look at her in question. "What are you calling for? Is something wrong?"</p>
<p>"Oh, no." Jon said, sounding surprised. "Nothing's wrong, I was just calling to check in. We haven't gotten the chance to talk in a while is all. I can call back later if you want, I completely forgot about the time difference."</p>
<p>"It's fine." She said, pushing the covers off her legs. "I have to get up soon for work anyway. We can talk."</p>
<p>"I'll make coffee." Gendry said, sitting up in the bed beside her as he ran a hand over his face. "We'll just get an early start."</p>
<p>"Okay." She nodded. He stood up and stretched as he let out a yawn before he slipped out of the room.</p>
<p>"Who was that?" Jon asked.</p>
<p>"It was just Gendry." She said, leaning against the headboard of the bed.</p>
<p>"Gendry?" Jon asked.</p>
<p>"My roommate and best friend." She said.</p>
<p>"I know who Gendry is." Jon said and she could hear the eye roll he was likely performing at that moment in his voice. "It's just that you said you just woke up and they way your voice sounded you were likely sleeping right before I called. I'm just wondering why you and your <em>roommate</em> are sharing a bed."</p>
<p>The way he said roommate made her think that he thought they were anything but and she rolled her eyes. It seemed that Rickon wasn't the only family member who believed that there was something going on between them.</p>
<p>"I gave my room to Rickon." She said. "He's a teenage boy, he needs a certain amount of privacy, and Gendry and I have been friends for years. He and I sharing a room was the best solution we could come up with for the time being."</p>
<p>"Right." Jon said sounding unconvinced but his voice lowered to concern with his next words. "How is he? Rickon."</p>
<p>"He's doing okay." She assured him. "He seems to be doing well in his new school and being here with Gendry and I is good for him I think. Sometimes he just needs some positive reinforcement or just to have someone there for him. I know mum and dad tried their best but after raising five kids before him, I think sometimes he got overlooked amidst everyone else."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Jon said, his voice solemn. "Well, I'm glad he has he two of you. I think you're right, having you both around will do him a world of good."</p>
<p>"He's a good kid." She agreed. </p>
<p>"Anyway, moving away from Rickon, are you sure it's a good idea for you and Gendry to be sharing a room and a bed?" He asked.</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't it be?" She asked, though she was almost certain she already knew what he was going to say. "We're friends."</p>
<p>"You are." Jon started. "But sharing a bed is almost certainly going to make things strange between you. Even being friends for as long as the two of you have been, sharing a bed is going to blur some lines."</p>
<p>"I can handle it." Arya said. "It's really not as big a deal as everyone seems to be making it.</p>
<p>She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Jon or herself with her words as she drew her knees into her chest and rested her chin on them. </p>
<p>"I know you think that." Jon said seriously. "But if things were to change between the two of you, there'd be no going back, no way to be what you were before. I just want to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into here."</p>
<p>"Things haven't changed between us." She said, even when she knew it wasn't entirely the truth. "He's my best friend, that's all."</p>
<p>"If you say so." Jon said. "But if things do end up changing, remember what I said and make sure that whatever happens is worth changing things in the first place."</p>
<p>"I will." She said with a sigh just as Gendry came back into the room with a steaming mug of coffee and two pieces of toast slathered in butter and jam.</p>
<p>"Thought you might be on the phone for a while so I brought you something to eat." He said quietly, sitting the coffee and small plate on the bedside table.</p>
<p>"Thanks." She said, tilting her face up to meet his eyes.</p>
<p>There was something in his eyes that she couldn't read as he looked at her and she found herself thinking of how domestic this scene was as they looked at each other in silence. It crossed her mind that this is a moment where he would kiss her if they were more than friends as everyone else kept saying and a small part of her almost wanted him to but finally, after a few more moments, he seemed to shake himself and he turned to leave the room again.</p>
<p>"Arya?" Jon's voice brought her back to herself and she blew out a long breath as she shook her head.</p>
<p>"We've talked about me enough." She said after a moment. "Let's hear about you. What's going on at the Wall?"</p>
<p>After that, they talked for a time more as Jon told her about the training missions his team would take beyond the wall and about the girl that he'd met on one of those missions giving her the opportunity to tease him. After bringing her the coffee and toast, Gendry had only left he room long enough to grab his own coffee before returning and he'd slipped his legs back under the covers and leaned back on the headboard beside her. </p>
<p>He'd gotten his laptop out to begin working on one of his projects and she'd been peaking at it as she talked to her brother on the phone. She loved watching Gendry work. He would stare at the screen and draw out plans with his brow furrowed in concentration and when he got some difficult calculation or design figured out he got a small proud smile on his lips and she liked seeing it. She was unsure if he was even aware that he did it but she'd been around him while he worked so much that she'd picked up on it rather quickly.</p>
<p>By the time she said goodbye to Jon almost an hour later, most of her focus had left the conversation and landed on Gendry which she was almost certain that Jon had picked up on.  Her mind was a mess of complicated feelings and thoughts about her best friend that she didn't even want to acknowledge but she couldn't help but feel them. Apparently her and Gendry seemed the obvious conclusion to everyone around them, even people who knew them well enough to know that there relationship wasn't romantic, so she had to believe that something was there. Everyone had to be picking up on some unseen thing between them that neither of them had acknowledged and she found that she kind of wanted to.</p>
<p>She wanted to know what that thing that everyone saw was and, more than that, she wanted to see it for herself. She wanted to know if what they saw was real and it was that thought that made her send out a text to Ned Dayne. The last thing she wanted to do was screw up her and Gendry's friendship over a curiosity so, in her mind, it was better to call up a friend and get it all out of her system. Surely if she had sex then the overwhelming feeling of wanting Gendry would stop. There would be no more sexual frustration and it would be much easier for her to ignore what everyone else was saying about their relationship and everything would go back to normal. At least she hoped.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was in the middle of her workday that she finally got a message back from Ned, who confirmed that he was in town visiting his uncle, and they made plans to hang out that night. They both knew what it meant when they made plans. They were never going to work out in a long term relationship with one another, they'd already tried that, but that didn't mean that they couldn't have a bit of fun together. The sex part of their relationship had never been the problem after all.</p>
<p>She texted to let him know that she'd meet up with him later that evening at the cafe they were both fond of and the rest of her workday went by quickly after that. By the time she got home, Rickon was already sitting in front of the television and she knew that Gendry would be home within the hour. The flat smelled like maple cookies due to the candle that Rickon had lit on the table and the scent filled her nose entirely.</p>
<p>"Gods, that's a strong candle." She commented and Rickon shrugged.</p>
<p>"I like it." He said.</p>
<p>"You would." She said, a fond grin on her face. "You have a huge sweet tooth. Anyone who knows you would know that."</p>
<p>"That's true." He said, glancing at her. "I'd eat the candle if I thought it would taste as good as it smelled."</p>
<p>"Please don't do that." She said, her voice deadpan. "Anyway, will you be okay with just Gendry tonight?"</p>
<p>"Are you going somewhere?" He asked, looking at her fully then.</p>
<p>"Yeah." She said. "A friend of mine is in town and I've made plans with him."</p>
<p>"Is he a friend or a<em> friend</em>?" Rickon asked, putting emphasis on the second friend so she's know what he was implying. </p>
<p>"He's an ex-boyfriend, not that it's any of your business." She said pointedly, giving him a look. "And he's just a friend."</p>
<p>"You're going on a date with your ex-boyfriend?" He asked. "What about Gendry?"</p>
<p>"What about him?" She asked with a sigh. "I've told you Rick, Gendry and I are just friends. He's not my boyfriend. And we're not going on a date, we're just catching up."</p>
<p>It was a bit more than that, she knew, but she wasn't about to discuss it with her little brother, though he seemed to already know what it was about.</p>
<p>"I'll be fine with Gendry." He said finally, sounding annoyed, and she rolled her eyes as she left the room. She didn't want to deal with his moodiness in that moment.</p>
<p>She went into her old room and began going through the clothes that she'd left in the closet until she found a red dress that she knew made her figure look good without making it look like she was trying too hard and she took it across the hall with her and laid it out on the bed. She then took a quick shower to wash her work day off before climbing back out and blow drying her hair and slipping the dress on over some red lace underwear.</p>
<p>She was just putting on a light dusting of makeup when Gendry came into the room after knocking lightly. He leaned back on the wall next to the mirror she was using and she glanced at him but he didn't say anything as he watched her finish up with a light gloss across her lips.</p>
<p>"Rickon says you're going out with a friend tonight." He said, his voice casual. "An ex-boyfriend, he said."</p>
<p>"Yeah." She nodded.</p>
<p>"Ned?" He asked and she glanced up at him once more. He studied her face for a moment before nodding. "I figured. Beric mentioned that he was visiting."</p>
<p>"We're just catching up." She said, feeling like she was having to repeat herself a lot that night.</p>
<p>"Mmm." He hummed quietly before raising a brow. "That doesn't look like a catching up kind of outfit."</p>
<p>"Gendry." She said quietly, his tone making her feel guilty even when she wasn't doing anything wrong.</p>
<p>"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Arya." He said, a slight smirk crossing his face. She hated when he got that smirk because she knew that it meant he was hiding how he was truly feeling behind sarcasm, a habit she knew he'd picked up as a poor kid in King's Landing. "I'm not your boyfriend or your husband. I'm just your roommate."</p>
<p>She blew out a long sigh.</p>
<p>"You'll be okay here with Rickon for the night?" She asked, ignoring his last statement. "I can reschedule if not. I should have given you a bit of a heads up anyway."</p>
<p>"It's fine." Gendry said. "Go."</p>
<p>"You're sure?" She asked, looking at him seriously.</p>
<p>"I'm sure." He said and she nodded before standing from the chair. The air between them felt weird and tense and she wasn't sure if it was a result of the turmoil in her mind or if something else was going on but she couldn't let herself dwell on it too much at that moment. She brushed passed him lightly and headed for the bedroom door. "Arya."</p>
<p>His voice called her back and she turned to look at him. He was wearing that unreadable expression from that morning on his face again and she found herself desperately wanting to know what he was thinking.</p>
<p>"Yeah?" She asked.</p>
<p>"You look beautiful." He said and she felt her cheeks flush immediately.</p>
<p>"Thank you." She said quietly.</p>
<p>They stared at each other for a few moments longer before she forced herself to turn away and walk out the door. She passed Rickon in the living room and he glanced at her for a moment before looking away again and she sighed. It was obvious that he was still annoyed with her and it made her wonder for a moment why he was so invested in her relationship with Gendry but she forced it out of her mind as she moved toward him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. </p>
<p>She told him that she'd be home later that night, which he mostly ignored, before going toward the front door to slip on her jacket. She noticed Gendry join him on the couch just before she slipped out of the door.</p>
<p>Ned was already waiting for her at the cafe and she apologized for being a bit late. He didn't seem to mind as he slid a large cup of coffee across the table toward her that he'd obviously ordered while he'd been waiting and she thanked him for it as she accepted the cup happily.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I got decaf." He said. "I know what you're like with coffee, you probably wouldn't sleep tonight if I'd gotten you fully caffeinated coffee."</p>
<p>"Probably not." She said with a smile. They fell quiet for a few minutes as they sipped at their drinks before she met his eyes. "So, are you staying with your uncle or do you have a hotel room somewhere?"</p>
<p>"Well, right to the point aren't you?" He asked, his eyes wide and she shrugged lightly.</p>
<p>"We both knew what this was when I texted." She said with a shrug. "No use in pretending it's anything different."</p>
<p>"Alright then." He said, clearing his throat. "I'm staying with my uncle right now but you and I both know that there's a motel right down the street that allows you to pay by the hour."</p>
<p>"Yeah." She nodded. "Shall we go then?"</p>
<p>"Lead the way." Ned said, gesturing with his hands.</p>
<p>They drank their coffees, which had conveniently already been in cardboard to-go cups, as they walked the short distance to the motel. The woman at the desk raised a brow at them as they requested a room to be paid for by the hour but she didn't comment on what she obviously knew was going on and instead just slid them a key across the desk.</p>
<p>Once they got to the room and locked the door behind them, it was awkward for a few moments as neither of them seemed to know what to do now but finally Ned moved toward her. His hand came up to cup her cheek as he lowered his lips to hers and she made a soft sound as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. He pushed her back against the door as his lips trailed along her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access while her fingers made quick work of the buttons on the front of his shirt.</p>
<p>She ran her hands along his chest as his arms went around her and he lifted her feet from the floor. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and he moved away from the door to drop her onto the bed. He crawled over her and leaned down to kiss her once more and she closed her eyes as his hands began roaming her skin. With her eyes closed, her brain began conjuring images against her will of larger, rougher, hands on her skin and when she forced them open once more they eyes she met were the wrong shade of blue. Too light, too close to purple, and the moment she realized that her mind was conjuring Gendry she knew that she had to stop.</p>
<p>She felt guilt rushing through her as Ned's lips touched her skin again. She wasn't doing anything wrong but it felt wrong anyway. </p>
<p>"Wait!" She spat out quickly just as Ned's hand was sliding under the fabric of her dress. He stopped immediately and pulled back to look at her with concern in his eyes.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?" He asked and she brought her hands up to cover her face as she breathed out a long breath. She felt the bed moving and suddenly Ned's weight left the space above her. "Did I do something?"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry." She said softly, sitting up and finally taking her hands from her face.</p>
<p>"What for?" He asked.</p>
<p>"I can't do this." She said, sliding to the edge of the bed and standing up. "I thought I could but I can't."</p>
<p>"You don't have to apologize for that." Ned said. "You're allowed to change your mind, Arya."</p>
<p>"Everything just so complicated." She said in a quiet voice as she let out a sigh.</p>
<p>The room was quiet as they stared at each other and Ned seemed to study her intently. For her part, she just stood there and waited for him to say something. After a while, he moved toward her until he could look her in the eyes and she saw something like sadness lingering in his gaze.</p>
<p>"It's him, isn't it?" Ned asked, looking at her with understanding. "Gendry. That's why you can't do this. You feel guilty, like you're betraying him?"</p>
<p>"Why would you think that?" She asked, shaking her head.</p>
<p>"It's always been him." Ned said. "You've never acknowledged it and you've never let yourself really feel it but everyone around can see that you two are inevitable. Even when you and I were together, I never expected it to last, not while he was around."</p>
<p>"I feel like I should apologize." She said quietly as she heard the sadness seep into his tone.</p>
<p>"You don't need to apologize. It's okay. Looking at the two of you and thinking about everything that happened in your lives that lead you to where you are now, it almost makes me believe in soulmates. You and Gendry, it just makes sense." He shrugged. "We don't choose who we love."</p>
<p>"I don't love him." She denied. "Not like that."</p>
<p>"Are you sure?" He asked, raising a brow at her. "Because from where I'm standing, that's what it looks like."</p>
<p>"I really am sorry." She said, ignoring his last words as she left the room.</p>
<p>She made it back to her car before the conversation really sunk in and her mind was even more conflicted than it had been before.<em> Did she love Gendry?</em> Surely if she did, she'd know it. Everyone seemed convinced that it was the gospel truth, so much so that she was beginning to question it herself.</p>
<p>Gendry had been in her life for years and she couldn't imagine him not being there, they were almost always together when they weren't working, neither of them had dated seriously in over a year, but all of those things didn't have to mean what everyone seemed to think it did. He was her best friend, of course they would spend time together and of course she couldn't imagine him not being there. They were each other's person, it didn't have to mean anything more than that.</p>
<p>But somehow, it did.</p>
<p>The more she thought about it, about what Rickon and Jon and Ned had all said, the more she thought they had a point. Rickon was right after all, all of the best relationships were built on friendship and she and Gendry didn't act like just friends. Sure they didn't kiss or have sex but everything else in their life reflected a long term romantic relationship. They'd gotten a flat together and they made all the decisions for the household together. They cooked dinner together or waited for the other person before eating, they took care of each other when they were sick, they did things to cheer the other up if they weren't feeling the best. They'd been acting like a couple without even realizing it for a long time.</p>
<p>Having to share a bed hadn't created the feelings in her mind and body, it had just brought all of it to the front of her mind instead of hiding it in the back like she'd been doing. It hit her all at once. They were right.</p>
<p><em>She loved him. </em>And maybe, just maybe, <em>he loved her too</em>.</p>
<p>All the lights were off in the flat when she got back and she tiptoed quietly to the room she shared with Gendry, not wanting to wake Rickon. Gendry was laying on his back on the bed with his eyes closed but she could tell by his breathing that he wasn't asleep. She changed into her pajamas quickly and went to the bathroom to wash her face before she came back and crawled into the bed beside him, curling onto her side easily.</p>
<p>"Did you have a good time?" He asked quietly, a note in his voice that she couldn't decipher.</p>
<p>"Not really." She commented, her voice just as quiet. Gendry hummed softly. "I didn't sleep with him."</p>
<p>"Oh?" He asked, his voice nonchalant. "Why not?"</p>
<p>"I didn't feel right." She said, hoping he'd understand what she meant without her having to say it directly.</p>
<p>They fell quiet for a few minutes before she felt him moving behind her. Suddenly, his arm came around her waist and he pulled her back into his chest before adjusting the blankets around them. She smiled softly even though he couldn't see it as she slid her hand down his arm to intertwine her fingers with his.</p>
<p>"Good." He said softly before pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her shoulder.</p>
<p>She knew they had a lot to talk about but for now, she was content. It was easy to fall asleep cradled against him.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you didn't catch the post on my Tumblr page, I had Covid and felt absolutely terrible which is why it took me so long to update. Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter anyway.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Waking up the next day was a bit strange. The night before, when Arya had gone out with Ned Dayne, he'd been angry and hurt even when he knew that he had no right to be but then she'd come home early, far earlier than he'd expected her, and told him that nothing had happened between them. The kiss he'd placed on her shoulder had just been impulse as his body flooded with relief but she hadn't protested it and it made his mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions and now he had no idea how to broach the subject.</p>
<p>They'd gotten dressed and eaten breakfast with Rickon, who still seemed a bit grumpy, but neither of them had acknowledged what had happened before Arya was slipping out the door to drop Rickon off and go to work which meant that Gendry was thoroughly distracted from his own work. He wasn't sure what had really happened the night before but he suspected that Arya felt similarly to him about their relationship since she'd told him that she hadn't slept with Ned because it didn't feel right to her.</p>
<p>He found himself wondering if he'd felt this way for her longer than he'd realized and it just took Rickon pointing it out for him to notice. Maybe he and Arya were just being idiots not to have noticed it themselves because as he thought about it, it made a lot of sense why people assumed they were together before they corrected them. They spent most of their time together and were more than a little physically affectionate with each other, something that should have tipped him off to his feelings long before Rickon did as he'd never really like physical contact with people due to his upbringing, and he knew that he talked about her probably more than was normal for someone who was just a friend.</p>
<p>They were so ingrained in each other's lives at this point that the realization that he actually maybe liked her as more than a friend and that he was jealous of other people touching her shouldn't have blindsided him so much but somehow it still did. They'd been friends for so long that it made him wonder if they could even change and make their relationship more romantic without ruining it but some part of him still wanted to try. He wanted her to be his in a more solid way than just being his best friend, which he knew was stupid and possessive, but he couldn't help it. Now that he'd realized he wanted her in that way, he couldn't bare the thought of her with anyone else. </p>
<p>He knew he needed to do something about how he was feeling and he needed to talk to her directly about all of it. It would probably be hard and more than a little awkward but he knew, or hoped at least, that it would be worth it.</p>
<p>He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Davos approaching until the older man was standing next to his desk and clearing his throat. He glanced up at him, fully aware that he'd just been staring blankly into space rather than doing any work, and his shoulders straightened as he gave him his full attention.</p>
<p>"What can I do for you, sir?" He asked and noticed Davos raise a brow at the formal address. They never really bothered with it in the office but he'd startled him and it had just come out.</p>
<p>"I was just coming to check up on you." Davos said with a shrug as he leaned against the edge of the desk. "I know you've had a bit of upheaval in your life recently."</p>
<p>"Oh." Gendry said in surprise. "I'm alright. It's been a bit stressful but Rickon seems much happier here than where he was before so I don't really mind."</p>
<p>"And how is it having a teenager in the house?" Davos asked, a smile crossing his face. "I remember when each of my boys was that age and let me tell you, sometimes it was hell. They think they're so grown up that any rules you try to enforce rubs them the wrong way."</p>
<p>"He's been fine." Gendry told him. "But then we're not his parents so maybe it's a bit easier for all of us."</p>
<p>"I'd be prepared for that to change if I were you." He told him. "Once he gets used to being here with you two and feels more secure in the situation, he's likely to start testing your limits to see what he can reasonably get away with."</p>
<p>"Rickon's a good kid." He said, though the words did give him something other than Arya to think about. "I don't think he'd get into that much trouble even if he does start testing limits."</p>
<p>"Didn't you have to pick him up from police lockup?" Davos asked with a raised brow.</p>
<p>"Yeah, but that wasn't really his fault." He said defensively.</p>
<p>"Well, in any case, you should prepare yourself." Davos said, patting him on the shoulder. "Fifteen is the age when rebellion gets particularly interesting to most kids, I'm sure you remember what that's like."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Gendry agreed. "I was a bit of a hellion then but I doubt Rickon would get that bad."</p>
<p>"How's Arya handling having her brother around?" Davos asked and Gendry shrugged again as he leaned back in his chair. </p>
<p>"She's good with him." He said. "He's her brother so that shouldn't come as much of a surprise but still, it's like she knows exactly what to say to him in any situation to calm him down. They're actually very similar so that probably makes it easier."</p>
<p>"You should know how to handle him as well then." Davos said. "After all, you've been around her for years."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Gendry said, nodding absentmindedly. "I suppose I do."</p>
<p>"Well, that's good at least." Davos said. There was a moment of silence before Davos gave him a wide smile. "You know, most people start parenthood with babies instead of jumping straight into the teen years but I suppose you've never done things by half."</p>
<p>"Fuck off." Gendry said, rolling his eyes even as a grin crossed his face and Davos laughed.</p>
<p>"Right, I should let you get back to work." Davos said, standing straight once more. "Or you know, back to your daydreaming."</p>
<p>"I wasn't daydreaming." He protested, though they both knew he had been.</p>
<p>After Davos went back to his office, Gendry finally forced himself to focus on the work in front of him rather than the thoughts and emotions surrounding Arya. He just had to put that aside for right now, he'd be able to talk to her when he got home that night. The rest of his day was busy as he worked quickly to finish up the things that he'd been putting off when he was caught up in his thoughts so that he'd have less to do the next day and by the time he was packing up to go home, he'd managed to push all his thoughts to the back of his mind so he felt a little less overwhelmed by it.</p>
<p>All of that went out the window though when he got back to the flat. Rickon was already sitting at the kitchen table with a book open in front of him and a stack of worksheets that he was working on. Arya was standing in the kitchen, stirring something in a pot on the stove, and she turned to look at him as he came in with a radiant smile on her face. He felt a little breathless for a moment as his steps paused before stopping entirely.</p>
<p>"Good, you're home." She said, her eyes flickering to Rickon who had glanced up to study them. "Could you help Rickon with his homework. I've been trying but I can't keep going between him and the stove or I'm going to burn dinner."</p>
<p>"Oh, um, sure." He said as he stepped toward Rickon.</p>
<p>As he got closer he realized that he was working on maths and seemed thoroughly annoyed. Arya was better than him at this particular subject but he wasn't too shabby either seeing as they used it frequently in engineering. </p>
<p>"Math is so stupid." Rickon complained. Perhaps Gendry had been wrong then, maybe Rickon wouldn't become an engineer no matter how much he seemed fascinated by the work as maths was a pretty big part of it.</p>
<p>"Here, let's see what we're working on and then I'll help you figure it out." He said, grabbing the worksheets to glance over them.</p>
<p>He spent the next half hour split between explaining the worksheet to Rickon in a way he could understand and glancing at Arya. She was making vegetable soup for dinner and the heat from the pot had made her cheeks a bit flushed and the hair at her temples was a bit damp, making it curl wildly around her face, and he thought that she'd never looked more beautiful.</p>
<p>He made sure to look away each time she glanced their way so she wouldn't notice his staring but he knew that at least Rickon had registered it because the boy raised a brow at him when he asked a question and Gendry had been took distracted to hear him so he'd had to repeat it. He wore a bit of a self-satisfied smirk for the rest of the time that he was helping him which Gendry tried to ignore. Even if Rickon had been partially right about him and Arya, the kid was far too smug about it for Gendry to acknowledge.</p>
<p>Rickon didn't seem to care though as he spent the duration of dinner with his eyes darting between them as if he expected them to start spilling their hearts out to each other in front of him, which obviously neither of them did.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After they had dinner Rickon retreated to his room and Gendry washed the dinner dishes and went to take a shower before going to bed. Arya usually took showers in the morning so he'd gotten into the habit of taking his at night since they'd moved in together given that there was hardly enough time for them to both to shower before work. Arya, for her part, had gone to their room with a large folder in her hand. She'd told them over dinner that it was paperwork that needed to be filled out so that she and Sandor could begin an apprenticeship program at the reserve that she seemed especially excited about.</p>
<p>He spent most of his shower trying desperately not to think about her flushed cheeks and bright eyes as she'd explained it to them because it made him feel dirty and awful when he took himself in his hand and worked himself toward a release with her in his mind. It obviously didn't really work which made it all worse when he stepped into their room and found her sitting on the bed, already clad in her pajamas, with one leg dangling over the side and the other tucked beneath her as she worked through the papers in front of her.</p>
<p>He'd wanted to talk to her about their relationship, had even rehearsed what he wanted to say earlier that day, but looking at her now all he really wanted to do was kiss her. She was chewing on her bottom lip as she concentrated on her papers and it had made it plump and red and utterly kissable. After a moment, she seemed to realize that he hadn't moved from his place by the door in the minutes since he'd entered and she glanced up. He wasn't sure what expression was on his face but whatever it was made her brow furrow as she looked at him.</p>
<p>"What?" She asked.</p>
<p>"I just...." He shook his head absently as he moved forward and lifted a knee onto the bed next to her. "I want to try something."</p>
<p>He felt a host of emotions as she looked up at him, apprehension, fear, longing, and something else he couldn't quiet figure out himself or he could but just hadn't admitted yet, and he wondered if she could see it all on his face. He certainly felt as if he couldn't hide it.</p>
<p>"Gendry." His name fell from her lips softly, almost like a whisper, as he moved closer and his heart beat a little faster in his chest.</p>
<p>He leaned toward her slowly, slow enough for her to stop him of she wanted, but she didn't seem to have any intention of doing so. Her eyes fluttered closed moments before his lips landed on hers and he felt her breath come in a gasp as his hand came up to cradle her face and tilt her head slightly. He felt something spark under his skin as she made a soft sound and lifted up onto her knees to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her body. She was all around him, all he could taste, touch, and smell was Arya.</p>
<p>His tongue ran along her bottom lip as his arm went around her waist and pulled her flush against his body and she opened to him willingly. He thought that he could stay like this forever and be happy about it. In one kiss, it felt as if his soul had found the home it had been searching for his whole life without him even realizing and he never wanted to let go. When he pushed her back onto the bed, she made another soft sound that made him want to spend the rest of his life right here in her arms.</p>
<p>"Gendry, wait." She said, gently pushing him away.</p>
<p><em>Fuck. </em>His mind finally caught up with what he was doing and he wanted to hit himself. He hadn't even asked her if it was okay to kiss her and, though she seemed to be okay with it, maybe he'd read the situation all wrong. Maybe she didn't want this and was just too surprised to say anything at first.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry." He said immediately, moving away from her quickly. His hands left her body and he stood from the bed, ready to leave the room, cursing himself in his mind all the while. "Of course you don't want this, I shouldn't have presumed."</p>
<p>"No." She caught his arm before he could walk away but he didn't look at her. He didn't want to see the disappointment or, gods forbid, fear in her eyes. "It's not that, not at all."</p>
<p>"Oh?" He asked, glancing up at her. She smiled softly, making a spark of hope that he hadn't entirely screwed everything up, and she pulled him down to sit on the edge of the bed beside her.</p>
<p>"I wanted to kiss you but I'm not sure that we should do anything else right now." She explained. "You're my best friend and the last thing I want to do is ruin this, you and me, because it's the one of the most important things in my life. I think we should take it slow and explore this new part to our relationship to make sure that it's something that we truly want before we go too far. If we cross a certain line, you know we'll never be able to go back."</p>
<p>Gendry was quiet for a moment before responding. He understood what she meant and it made sense to him that she'd want to take their relationship, if that's what they were heading toward, a bit more slowly. They had so much history together that it made a physical relationship between them more complicated than it would be if they were just strangers who'd met at a coffee shop or something. He valued their friendship and he knew that she did too, so it made sense that she wouldn't want to screw it up just because they were thinking of changing their relationship slightly. He even agreed with her so that was what he told her.</p>
<p>"You're right." He agreed softly, nodding his head as their eyes met once more. "Taking it slow is a good idea, I don't want to ruin this either."</p>
<p>"Good." She said, a small smile making it's way onto her face. "Though, I meant it when I said that I wanted to kiss you and I hope you don't think that's too fast because I rather enjoyed it."</p>
<p>"Yeah?" He asked, his voice holding a smug edge that he couldn't help.</p>
<p>"I think so." She teased. "But maybe you can kiss me again, just so I can be sure."</p>
<p>He responded by pressing his lips to hers again and pulling her closer to his body as they explored each other's mouths thoroughly. He was alright with going slow because kissing Arya was already better than anything else he'd ever done. They kissed for a while longer before finally settling in for bed and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.</p>
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